This week I’m happy to introduce you to Karen Hume as my guest blogger while I am traveling. I’ve followed Karen’s blog ProfoundJourney.com since late last year. The moment I “found” her and started reading her ideas I sensed a kindred spirit. Thank you, Karen, for filling in for me and sharing some of your SMART and intriguing thoughts with all of us.
Have you ever been the only person in a parking lot at night? Or a hotel hallway after the elevator has stopped pinging and all of the guests are tucked up in their rooms asleep? Maybe you have descended to a subway platform moments after the train has left and you are alone on the platform for a minute or two. Each of these is an example of a liminal space.
The word ‘liminal’ comes from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning threshold. A physical liminal space is a place where we feel hyper-aware and uncertain, sometimes uncomfortable or unsafe.
Liminal Space in an empty building
When I was a teacher, I used to work very late in my school. Just before 11:00 p.m. the custodian, Ken, would open the electrical panel in a utility room near my classroom. I would hear the click as the hall lights were turned off, replaced by the otherworldly glow of small security lights. Ken would come to the door of my classroom and encourage me to go home soon. Then he would leave, and I would be alone –in a brightly lit room that was my second home, looking out at the shadowed hallway.
I wasn’t afraid. I knew that the school was empty. But I do remember well the feeling of shutting off my classroom lights, and walking those empty hallways and stairwells, down to the alarm panel inside the front doors. I would activate the alarm, push through the glass doors, and walk the few feet to my car which I always parked under a streetlamp. This was many years ago, in a different time. I would be afraid to take such actions now. But at the time, what I felt was what we always feel in a liminal space–that reality has been altered, that I am alone in the world.
Liminal Space that isn’t physical
I predict that most of us have had the experience of being in a physical liminal space. But I know with certainty that all of us have inhabited an emotional liminal space, not once but many times in our lives. They occur at any point of transition so from:
- one home to another
- married to divorced
- employed to fired or retired
- with children at home to an empty-nester
- the end of one decade to the start of another (i.e., age 59 to 60)
- a loved one in your life is gone from your life through death
Each of these examples, and there are many others, find us betwixt and between. We have left what was, but haven’t yet inhabited what’s next. That is the very definition of a liminal space.
Emotional Liminal Space scares us
Let’s not kid ourselves. Walking through an empty parking lot late at night is terrifying. Still, it’s got nothing on the fear we experience during some of life’s more challenging transitions.
As a result, most of us will avoid making a transition with everything we’ve got in us. We will stay in the lousy marriage, wait a few more years before moving, or postpone our retirement date until we have amassed more money. When we finally do enter a transition, many of us will try to get through it as quickly as possible, leaping to what’s next so we can feel comfortable and sane once again.
That’s a mistake.
Liminal Space is where the magic happens
Kathy recently wrote about Parker J. Palmer, a favorite author for her because his “words seem to speak directly … in ways I wish I had said myself.” William Bridges is one of those authors for me.
Bridges has done the seminal work on the topic of transition. Much of that work has been about managing transition within organizations, however, in 2001 he wrote a very personal account of his own transition during and after his wife’s battle with, and eventual death from, breast cancer. The Way of Transition is a book I returned to over and over as I experienced burnout and made the decision to retire early from a vocation that had meant everything to me.
Bridges helps us to understand transition as so much more than simply a change from one state to another. The work of transition actually has three parts, only one of which is the liminal space. The three parts, which Bridges says overlap rather than occur sequentially, are:
- Making an Ending
This involves more than just leaving your job, or waving bye to the kids as they move out of your house. A good ending requires that you let go not only of what you used to do, but of who you used to be. For example, some teachers retire and then immediately start working as substitute teachers “to keep their hand in.” While the argument is that it’s a bit of extra money and an opportunity to continue to work with colleagues and students, self-identification is still as a teacher. There is no ending, and therefore no possibility of transition.
- Inhabiting the Neutral Zone
This is the crux of transition, the spot I think of as the pre-eminent liminal space. Danaan Parry describes it as the space between letting go of one trapeze bar and grabbing the next one. William Bridges speaks of it as a time of chaos, as “that state of pure energy that is experienced either as a jumble or a time of empty nothingness [that] makes us feel out of control and a little crazy.”
Liminal space, as we have discussed, is terrifying. But it is also chock-full of creative potential, a time of possibility.
- Making a New Beginning
When beginnings come after a definite ending, and time hanging out in the liminal space, those beginnings have great power. Bridges assures us that they are “marked by a release of new energy in a new direction–they are the expression of a new identity.”
Note that this doesn’t mean that new beginnings, the ‘what nexts’ of our transitions are easy. Every new beginning confirms that the ending we experienced was real. We will feel again a sense of the original loss. And we may worry that this won’t be the right new beginning for us, or that we might fail.
How to Survive and Thrive in a Liminal Space
Liminal spaces require that we be willing to live with the ambiguity of not knowing what’s next. That’s an incredibly uncomfortable, anxiety-provoking place for many of us.
While waiting is the primary task of the neutral zone, there are a few things you can do while you wait.
- Schedule a new experience at least once a week. Julia Cameron’s idea of ‘artist dates’ includes everything from wandering through a toy store to taking a guided walking tour of your own town.
- Pay attention to meaningful coincidences, or what Carl Jung referred to as synchronicity. They often serve as arrows pointing the way to your next step.
- Imagine possibilities for a while without settling too quickly. Creative visualization can help you you rehearse each possibility to see what feels right.
- Access your creativity in whatever form works for you. You might plant a garden, paint a picture, or write a poem. Creative acts are both soothing and supportive of self-understanding.
- Meditate. Meditation is enormously helpful in managing anxiety and getting us used to waiting peacefully.
- Work with a therapist or coach–someone who knows how to hold space. Holding space is defined as “walking alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome.”
Here’s a post I’ve written with specific suggestions of how to thrive in all three parts of transition as a retiree.
Quotes about Liminal Space
Sometimes I find it helpful just knowing that my difficulty inhabiting a liminal space is ultimately going to be worthwhile:
“Honour the space between no longer and not yet.” Nancy Levin
“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between them, there are doors.” William Blake
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” Joseph Campbell
“The essence of life takes place in the neutral zone phase of transition. It is in that interim spaciousness that all possibilities, creativity and innovative ideas can come to life and flourish.” Susan Bridges
“The moment in between what you once were, and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place.” Barbara de Angelis
Karen Hume was all about her work as a teacher, workshop leader, and author of six books until she finally burned out after too many flights, conference centers, and publishing deadlines. Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, burnout was the very best thing that could have happened because it gave Karen the freedom to start figuring out how to rightsize her life for her final thirty years. Karen shares her ideas, research, and musings with a wonderful community of similarly questing women on her blog, Profound Journey.
Okay, your turn. Does Bridges’ three-part transition model resonate with your experience? What has been helpful to you while cooling your heels in the liminal space of the neutral zone? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Karen, I like the way you describe the concept of liminal space, and apply it to life transitions. I have made many physical and emotional life transitions and I knew about the letting go phase and the seizing new beginnings phase. But resting within the neutral period and letting it be what it needs to be was a new way of looking at it for me, and incredibly helpful. I have a tendency to speed through life, rushing from one thing to another. But sometimes you have to pause, and wait to see what ripens.
Jude
Thanks for having Karen over, Kathy. Her ideas fit in nicely on you blog.
Very interesting and recognizable subject, Karen. You express these feelings so well. We each have them in different, yet familiar ways. I’ve never really been scared in any of these physical situations, but mentally, I totally hear you.
Knowing that you’re actually going on an inward journey now, doing what feels most right to you, is brave and smart. It’s a decision that’s not always easy. I totally understand and want to do the same, yet I’m overcome with guilt when I even think about it… I’ll have to find my own luminal space, which will be a balance of what’s possible, “needed” and feels right.
Hello Karen and Leanne
Your post has been in my inbox for at least a week. I read it at just the right time. (synchronicity)
I retired eight months ago from a seed company where I worked as a flower trials coordinator for many years. I grew many trials in the fields there. Last week I dropped by for a “visit.” One of many over the past months. At some point, I found myself was standing alone in the field. I became very aware I no longer belonged there. It was time to move on. It was an odd feeling. I wasn’t sad. I just had a deep “knowing” that it was time to let it all go. I came home and wrote about it, releasing the feelings, and the people I’d worked with for years to the page. I have taken my first step out of my neutral zone. It’s really quite freeing.
I’m happy to say I have been working the suggestions given while in my neutral zone. I’ve been writing morning pages, taking artist dates, beginning memoir, gardening, meditating and so on.
Thank you for this post it’s been quite comforting.
.
Laura
Hi Karen,
This was a very interesting read for me. I never knew about liminal space before; although it has happened to me many times. In the subway, very eary for me. Also when I was dropped off by the bus in Moosejaw Saskatchewan in the middle of the night in a parking lot. No one was around. Oh way too scarry for me and dragging my luggage across the parking lot to find my hotel. And also transitional times for me when my marriage ended. Oh too many liminals for me to mention. I’m in a much better place now. Love my life. Thanks for sharing and teaching me something new.
Hi, Karen and Kathy – I’m not sure how I missed this post previously. But it is perfect timing for me to read it now. I hadn’t heard this concept so well described before. You have left me with lots to think about!
Thank you so much for this! I am definitely in a liminal space right now in my life. I left my job in March, but I received my last paycheck earlier this month. I am now unemployed, living on very little money, and waiting to see how things transpire with the direction I want to take next, professionally. It has caused me a great deal of anxiety, and I have realized that I do a lot better if I attend yoga class every morning. Today I had coffee with a friend who is in a similar place, and I realized that I could do more to add structure and predictability to each day, and that I have a lot of opportunity for growth and exploration during this time. So, I definitely came across this post at the perfect time!
Been there, done that numerous times. The longest experience was when my marriage failed. Phase one was about 6 months, but phase two lasted almost 2 years. It was how long it took for the divorce to happen and for me to move on. Because my ex moved out of state, everything took longer and I found myself responsible for a house that I couldn’t afford but couldn’t sell until the divorce was settled. A lot of anxiety during this time, as the divorce kept moving forward and then backward. But through it all, I kept trying new things to help me determine my path forward and when the divorce was finalized I was able to embrace Step 3 because I was ready for it.
Hi Jennifer,
How awesome that you kept moving forward and trying new things even in the midst of the anxiety of a messy and lengthy divorce. And I love that you felt ready for your new beginning because of your experiences in the liminal space. Hopefully that message offers some hard-won reassurance to anyone who has been or is in a similar position, Jennifer. Thanks for generously sharing your experience.
what a great topic karen – I hadnt given any thought to the idea of liminal space as anything but witihin the physical realm . As you know I travelled there recently – moving out away from home forest and partner of 30 years – into a small village a tiny house on my own. my experience differed to bridges model – I had moved so in that sense there was an end but in all other ways the ending was also within a liminal space and I found that I was totally ok and happy living within the uncertainty. I do watch out for synchronicity and followed the prompts but mostly I practiced surrendering to a will greater then mine … scary stuff and yet quite exhilarating . After 5 and half weeks out of the blue the landlord wanted to move his mother in with me so I chose to return home. the universe works in mysterious ways and here I am – I think that each time we traverse within liminal space we learn so much and it gets easier and more exciting – very much akin to living with the mystery. I enjoyed everyones comments – thank you to Kathy for asking you along to share and to you Karen for the wisdom you brought to this topic.
Hi Sandra,
I’d love to learn to live with uncertainty rather than trying to control everything – when it is so darn clear that so much is uncontrollable!! Can you give me any suggestions how to get comfortable with uncertainty? Or do you think this is a personality trait that we either have or don’t have?
Mmmmmm – I don’t believe it is a case of we either have or not have the traits to be comfortable with uncertainty but I do understand that some personalities prime us in certain directions. Having said that we all carry an innate capacity to transform ourselves. like all we endeavour to do or Be relinquishing trying to control is a journey – and it starts with your awareness that ‘ it is so darn clear that so much is uncontrollable’. You see you already know this and you already live with this daily – think about your interactions with nature with the weather. I will put some thought into suggestions and get back to you Karen.
What a beautiful way to explain procrastination! But seriously, I think that the two primary WIPs are steeping somewhat nicely. While I think your idea of my being concerned about a new beginning rings true, I also think deep down I fear that if I finish, I’ll then have to face the reality of whether or not they are any good. With my summer projects complete, my daughter returning to school in 10 days, and my schedule set up to have 3 full days with no obligations each week — I’ll have NO distractions or excuses. We’ll see if that makes a difference…
I’d keep my fingers crossed for you but that would wreak havoc on my own writing. So instead, I’ll just think good thoughts and cheer you on silently.
Hi Karen and the other lovely commenters! How wonderful to be off on an adventure and know that SMART Living is still here and doing well (or even better!) without me. I loved this article when Karen sent it to me and knew it would be perfect for the blog. I also am so very grateful to everyone chiming in and sharing their thoughts on the idea of liminal space. I think what it so vividly demonstrates is that we ALL go through them (some of us more gracefully than others) and that “none of us is ever really alone.” Thank you again Karen for sharing such profound thoughts with us and for taking the time to watch over your post while I’m gone. ~Kathy
My pleasure, Kathy, and thank you for giving me space on your blog. I admire what you do and am honoured to have been invited to share with your readers.
I hope you’re having a wonderful adventure.
Karen – another great post! I so appreciate how clearly you articulate experiences that so many share. I bet you were a phenomenal teacher! Given my life has tended to be more transition than stability, I am very familiar with liminal space. I’ve known of the concept but agree with others here who appreciated how clearly you explain it! Of the three stages, I think I most enjoy the neutral zone and am rarely in a hurry to move to the next phase — I so enjoy the journey — much like Susan Bridges mentions.
Kathy – thanks for inviting Karen to post in your absence. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.
Hi Janet,
I can identify with your enthusiasm for the liminal space of the neutral zone. While it’s not a comfortable place to be, it is so ripe with possibility and hope that it’s quite seductive. It occurs to me that that may partially explain your difficulty with completing some writing projects. While they are in that liminal space, there are still so many possibilities, so many choices. Once completed they, and you, are in the time of a new beginning with all of the concerns about whether or not it is the right beginning, the correct one for you.
I’ve heard of this concept of liminal space before but this post is the best description of it that I’ve ever read.
Before I read this post I would have said I’m in transition getting ready for a new beginning. Now I’m starting to think I still have a lot of letting go to do. It’s not so easy. It reminds me of learning to waterski when I was young. After taking a tumble, the instinct was to continue holding on to the towline even as it dragged me half-drowned through the water.
We humans are strange creatures. We want to hang on even when it’s not in our best interests.
Hi Joanne,
Your waterskiing example is a really good one. It helps me, Joanne, to think of all of the things I’m having trouble letting go of. Being “dragged half-drowned through the water” is the perfect description for that feeling. Thank you for the visual. It really does help.
Actually I think I inadvertently helped myself too. Now when I catch myself obsessing over something I’ll have to remind myself to let go of the rope!
Yes, I like that image, Joanne. It used to be that “letting go of the rope” just meant not carrying on your end of a conflict. It’s much more telling to let go of the rope as a way to avoid being dragged to a watery death!
I too had not heard the phrase liminal space before, but can identify with the concept. Beautifully explained, Karen.
Thanks, Anabel. I imagine that with all of your travel to interesting places, you’ve had more than a few experiences of a physical liminal space. At least sometimes I sense that in your writing.
Yes, I think so. The biggest emotional liminal space I can think of is not retiring, which was much easier than I expected, but our move to Glasgow over 30 years ago. It caused a lot of anxiety at the time – yet turned out to be the best decision we ever made.
I love the idea of the liminal space…when I’m not in it 🙂 I’ve never been a huge fan of change, but I’m learning that change is necessary for growth. Your description of how new beginnings require an acknowledgment that the ending was real hit the nail on the head. I think that’s what scares me the most sometimes: not the fear of going forward but the fear of not being able to go back.Thanks as always for sharing your wisdom, Karen! And the quotes are great, especially William Blake.
An interesting insight, Jenny. It helps me to think of the famous quote about never being able to step into the same river twice. The river moves on and so do we. We are constantly changing – at cellular, intellectual and emotional levels. When we take that knowledge and apply it to major and tangible changes in our lives, it reminds me that the change I’m fearing is just a larger version of what is always happening. And that I’ve been okay and will continue to be okay.
Not surprisingly – the William Blake quote is my favourite too.
Hi Karen, Liminal space was introduced to me by the priest and thinker Richard Rohr after 9-11. I remember sitting at my computer and thinking that I could never write another word in my novel. Ironically, liminal space became PART of my novel–which centers around a kidnapping. After one’s child is gone, you live in liminal space, you are on the threshold of nothingness. I have also written about liminal space on my blog. http://boomerhighway.org/what-is-liminal-space-and-why-its-our-new-normal/ Thanks for your interpretation and for sharing an important concept.
Hi Beth,
I’ve just read your post. Thanks for letting me know of its existence. I will return to read others. I’d also like to read your novel; a kidnapping, like 9-11, definitely forces us into a psychic nothingness, one that is particularly terrifying. I can’t find a listing for your book on Amazon. Do you publish under a different name?
Two of my favorite bloggers sharing a space… I love it!
Like many others, I have experienced liminal spaces but wasn’t aware that it had a name. My most recent “between” was when I left work and entered retirement. After reading your insightful post, I wonder if I may have rushed that transition… not because I was afraid of the New Beginning, but because I was anxious to hit the ground running. Now that I’ve been retired for a few years, I wonder if it would be helpful to sit back a bit and see what those doors that William Blake wrote about might hold for me.
And a favourite blogger commenting. It doesn’t get much better 🙂
I’m not surprised that William Blake’s quote resonated for you, Janis. I know you’ve always had a fascination with doors, but lately I’m hearing more and more of your interest in finding out what’s on the other side. Fortunately, liminal spaces aren’t just for when transitions happen to us. They’re also ideally suited for when we choose to make transitions of our own. How exciting to see what sitting back, watching and waiting could bring for you!
Karen – Early in my transition I called the 3 elements: Let it Go, Let it Be, and Let it Begin. I thought I was in Let it Begin, but recent events are telling me I’m still doing some Let it Go! I guess the fact that you’re writing this, you’re feeling something similar. I love some of those quotes especially the one about what you once was and who you are becoming. I’m feeling impatient for the becoming…and realize I need to Let it Be a bit more. Thanks for the reminder!
No problem, Pat. I like your names for the three elements. And yup, I too am still doing lots of let it go. And yes, as someone who has a bit (okay a lot) of a problem with wanting to plan and control everything, Let it Be is – ahem – an issue. Reminders are good for us all!
Hi Karen, I’ve experienced all of the life transitions you listed and yes they all brought fear and challenges. I’ve not heard of liminal space before but after reading your post I know I have experienced it. Change or transition isn’t easy and it is uncomfortable but I do believe that if we can let go and accept it makes a huge difference. I like your point about the teacher retiring and then ‘keeping their hand in’ by substitute teaching. We do need to have an end point so we can begin anew. Thank you for your insightful post and as always, I’ve learned something new from you. Thank you Kathy for having Karen as your guest, and sharing her wisdom with us. Have a beautiful day both of you. xx
Hi Sue,
I think you might know that I’m a huge fan of the songwriter, Kris Kristofferson. One of the things he says popped into my mind when I read your reference to letting go and accepting change. Kris urges us to not paddle against the current, but with it. And he says that when we get really good at it, we throw away the oars.
That’s where I’d like to someday get to, Sue – to not just be comfortable in liminal space (which I sometimes am), but to be comfortable with not planning out every last detail of a new beginning. Your comment made me think of this, so thank you. As usual, I’ve learned something new from you too.
Hi Karen,
I too have inhabited liminal spaces; both physical and emotional. I have transitioned from married to divorced, suffered the loss of loved ones, gone from working to stay at home Mom and so on. I have also been in physical liminal spaces; empty parking lots, being outside in the country at night by myself (it truly does feel like you are alone in the world) and being alone in an empty building devoid of life, furniture, light. It really is transformative. I found that I emerged from those spaces a stronger more self-assured woman. There is a kind of renewing that happens as one changes from one state to another. You can’t help it since you have been changed by the experience. Thanks for giving us a name for when this happens since I think a lot of us will find this post resonates with us but we have never thought of it outside of experiencing it.
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for having Karen guest post here on your blog. I have followed Karen’s blog Profound Journey since the beginning and find all of her posts contain a lot of thought-provoking content. I think it is great that people that read your blog have a chance to “discover” Karen’s too since they may not have found Profound Journey before and people can follow more than one blog, I know I have.
Hi Susan,
I’d forgotten about the liminal space feeling when outside in the country by yourself at night. You’re so right – staring up at the stars, it’s as if it’s just you and the universe – a deeply unsettling and at the same time so wondrous experience.
You’re also so right about the renewal that happens as we change states. When in the middle state – the neutral zone or ‘Let it Be’ phase as Pat calls it – it can be difficult to see that renewal is happening. All we’re aware of is the discomfort and the mess. But it’s such an essential time, it’s the catalyst for true renewal.
Thanks for commenting, and thank you for your nice comment to Kathy. I always appreciate when the Profound Journey tribe rallies round no matter where my post is published.
You are welcome on both counts, Karen…I am proud to be a tribe member and will follow you around the internet wherever you post. In a good way only, not like a stalker or anything. 😉 LOL
Oh my gosh, this post is so timely for me! This week I ended a life in one house. Right at the end, I walked silently through all the rooms and said goodbye and thanked it for the happy life it had held. Then I went into my new home. My husband wasn’t there, and I found myself eerily afraid, not yet being well acquainted to the noises noises and rhythms. This was truly a luminal space for me.
This transition is a time of uncertainty and yet of promise. I believe in the ability to make this a magical home and that we will love it, yet it is not yet “mine” in my soul. It will take time.
As always Karen, you have incredible insight!
Thank you, Michele, but I’m going to trot out the old schoolyard taunt on this and say, “It takes one to know one.” You too are incredibly insightful.
I’m very excited to see the magical things that are going to happen for you in this time of transition. It’s so good that you made an excellent ending in your old house. These little rituals, like saying goodbye to each room, matter.
I love this post! Thank-you Kathy for having Karen guest post on this subject. I habe felt it, feel it and didn’t know the name, now I do.
Hi Haralee,
Thanks so much for commenting, and for confirming that strange feeling that is life in the liminal space. I’m with you – sometimes just having a name for what’s happening can help so much. Labelling somehow makes even a challenging experience understandable and therefore safe.
Hi Karen,
I had not heard of liminal spaces until your post, and thank you for sharing your knowledge on this! Thanks to you, I now know I have entered a liminal space since my daughter and her boyfriend moved out of my place. I’ve also experienced a synchronicity as I was approached to rent out my newly vacant guest room for 4 months to an intern of the museum I rent space to. It will be a good, short-term experiment, to help me decide if this is what I want to do in the future. And many people are holding space for me, yourself included, for which I am very grateful!
Deb
Hi Deb,
You are most definitely in a liminal space, my friend. And isn’t it so good to know that, painful and devastating as it is to inhabit that space, this is where the “dance of life” is taking place and you are a woman fully engaged in the dance.
You’re not just a badass, Deb, but a warrior.
By the way,I just bought a book about synchronicity. When I read it, I’ll share my notes.
I look forward to that! Thanks Karen.
Amazing post, Karen. I am not afraid of dying but am terrified when put where it could happen. That doesn’t make sense to me and next time, I will use your suggestions. And not just for death, but all those seminal changes.
Hi Jacqui,
I read somewhere that all fears are fear of death. Maybe it isn’t always a fear of dying, but of specific aspects, like where death will occur. Perhaps every fear of death is an enlarged fear of liminal space – of being betwixt and between. Interesting thought, Jacqui. It actually ties quite nicely to Mona’s comment about using Bridges’ model when helping people deal with grief. Maybe it’s also the perfect model for contemplating and dealing with our own deaths. Hmm… something to ponder.
I’m thinking of a time of angst when I turned to a sage friend for support. She told me to stay in that space and see where it takes me. Yes, I’ve spent some time in that liminal space (not knowing that it had a name) during a marriage separation and subsequent divorce. In retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happened to me given the personal growth that resulted. I did grief support work during my nursing career and William Bridges’ model of ending, neutral zone and new beginning was often used.
Hi Mona,
I hadn’t realized that Bridges’ model would be used in grief support work but, of course, it makes perfect sense. And in fact, he did do exactly that himself in his book The Way of Transition where he talks about the ending of the relationship with his wife, the neutral zone he inhabited during her illness and then death, and the new beginning that emerged from the ashes.
Thanks very much for sharing the use of the model in that context. I also appreciate your confirmation that the model was helpful to you during your divorce.
Hi Karen – why am I not surprised to see you guesting here on Kathy’s blog? Two peas in a pod! And your post resonated with me when I was thinking back to quitting my job three years ago. I came to the point where I felt I needed to leave and did so with the understanding that I may never find another job (who’d employ a middle aged woman?)
I used that liminal time to buy a bicycle, to invest time in my blog, to begin volunteering at my local school, and to just enjoy some headspace. Before I knew it, I had a new job (with better hours and better pay) in a new field – and then the learning curve began again – scary stuff but so worthwhile in the end! Great post and a concept I hadn’t heard of but will always have at the back of my mind now.
Hi Leanne,
I didn’t know that you’d changed jobs just a few years ago. What a brave thing to do, and to be willing to endure the liminal space. So many run in fear from points of transition. It’s understandable because they are scary, but there’s so much richness if we can just endure them and allow ourselves to feel a bit crazy for a while. Your liminal space actually sounds incredibly healthy – at physical, mental and emotional levels.